Under the Dome Update: January 16-20, 2006

Any public school student, group of students, or their parents, who have been pressured in any way from praying in any school environment including extra-curricular activities, on or off school grounds or in any association with school sponsored events.

Any Missouri citizen pressured to use politically correct terms or titles as alternatives for Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Independence Day, Washington’s Birthday, or any other traditional historical holiday designations. Any person(s) aware of official efforts to avoid traditional titles in any government venues or where public funding may have been a factor in the situation.

Any first hand experiences of censorship or intimidations to prohibit the display or use of historical documents or quotes from historical heritage for political correct purposes in any government agency, buildings, facilities or public schools.

The Senate Judiciary and Civil & Criminal Jurisprudence Committee voted ‘Due pass’ Senate Committee Substitute (SCS) for SB 578. Upon passage SCS SB 578 would prohibit protesting funeral services. (KM editorial comment – This bill came in response to the complete idiots like the so-called ‘reverend’ Fred Phelps, who organize pickets and protests of funerals of homosexuals – promoting that their deaths were a direct result of God’s judgment on their sin. These protests have also been staged at funerals of military personnel. These same folks protest churches and ministries such as Focus on the Family for not condemning sinners in the same way Phelps does.) This bill is now on the “Formal Perfection Calendar” in the Senate and is expected to be debated before the full Senate as early as next Monday afternoon. A companion bill in the House is set to have a public hearing next week – see “Next Week?” below.

THURSDAY

The House Local Government Committee debated the first fake fix for eminent domain abuse, HB1070. This bill proposes to narrow the uses of “blight” as a tool to justify eminent domain but in reality creates loopholes just as big as the ones already being abused. The key to a good bill is OBJECTIVE standards, not SUBJECTIVE standards.

REMEMBER: If bureaucrats, lawyers, and judges are left to define the law – bureaucrats, lawyers, and judges will control the law!

ACTION NEEDED: As the 2006 legislative session focuses on eminent domain reform (due to the U.S. Supreme Court’s KILO decision) lawmakers need to be reminded that churches and non-profit ministries are now sitting ducks for abuse! Kilo allows state and local governments to target taking private property through eminent domain for no other reason than to increase tax revenues from their current land use. Churches and non-profit ministries pay no local, state or federal taxes. Many of these properties sit on highly prized locations in the eyes of unscrupulous commercial developers.

Contact your Representative and Senator. Kindly remind them that the value Missouri churches and non-profit ministries provide to Missouri and our local communities is far higher than ANY tax revenues that could be generated through alternative land uses! Ask them, “please reform eminent domain abuse to protect Missouri churches and ministries”!

HUMAN CLONING INITIATIVE PETITION (Proposed Constitutional Amendment) The Circuit Court in Cole County, Judge Kinder, heard the case challenging the false language in the Secretary of State’s ballot question for the misleading human cloning initiative. This proposed constitutional amendment is being challenged by Missourians Against Human Cloning. While claiming to ban human cloning the proposal actually protects the practice by constitutionally guaranteeing not only that human cloning could be practiced – but that all human clones must be killed as human guinea pigs for “medical research”!

Judge Kinder ruled that the misleading summary question, to appear on the ballot inside the voting booth later this year, is legal despite our assertion that it is false and unethical in its wording. However, three positive points have come out of the case: (1) Proponents have a limited time frame to gather their needed signatures to qualify the initiative for the 2006 election cycle, and this case has set them back almost two months – meaning they will have to pay a premium for the signatures during the time remaining. (2) The court case has earned more media coverage for our side than could be purchased with the same dollars spent on advertising. (3) Testimony from the trial transcript and depositions confirm and document that our claims are correct, that the other side knows we are correct, and that they are deliberately being deceptive!

Missourians Against Human Cloning will decide within the next few days if they will appeal Judge Kinder’s ruling, or if they will focus on launching a campaign to tell Missourians the truth about this ‘clone & kill’ power grab by those who stand to profit from human cloning.

Next Week?

NOTE: As we list upcoming public hearings on various bills please be aware that,

(1.) We will only include key items of interest to pro-family & pro-life folks, and
(2.) All hearings are subject to change – up to the last minute for cancellations and as early as 24 hours ahead of time for bills added to the schedule.

Many committees do not post hearing schedules until one or two days before the meeting. Official notice of public hearings is only required to be posted on the official House and Senate bulletin boards located on the third floor of the Capitol Building. However, the Missouri House and Senate web sites provide this information as soon as the late evening hours of the same day hearings are posted, or sooner, with a 95%+ accuracy. To monitor these announcements go to: http://www.house.state.mo.us/default.aspx?info=/bills061/hearings.htm & http://www.senate.state.mo.us/06info/hrings.htm

Monday – Thursday a variety of House and Senate Appropriations Committees will be working long hours for the next several weeks to put together the multi-tiered bills ultimately making up the 2007 state budget. Actual numbers will be developed first in the House and then sent to the Senate for approval/adjustments.

Passage of a balanced state budget for 2007 is required by the Missouri State Constitution no later than 6 pm, May 5th, 2006.

One week before the end of the 2006 Regular Session of the Missouri General Assembly on May 12th, 2006.

Monday – The Children’s Services Commission will be discussing issues related to the many children of parents currently in Missouri prisons.

The Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee will take public testimony on a multitude of bills related to sex crimes.

Tuesday, the Senate Education Committee will debate bills ranging from Bright Flight students – to bullying – to special education funding.

The Senate Pensions, Veterans’ Affairs and General Laws Committee will focus on a new program actively supported by the Governor called the “Health Information Technology Fund”.

How this developing government program relates to the human cloning battle will be very interesting. Never turn your back on government that says “Hi, I’m here to help you.”

Meanwhile the House Crime Preventions and Public Safety Committee will hear HB 1026 restricting funeral protests.

Wednesday, 10:30 am, we will sit in on the State of the Judiciary address from Chief Justice Michael A. Wolff of the Missouri Supreme Court.

As with all legislative sessions, this joint session will be available via live-stream over the internet.

Visit the House or Senate web sites to click on this free public service.

Also, the Senate Committee on Economic Development will hear four bills regarding TIF (Tax Increment Financing), which is commonly used in conjunction with eminent domain abuse.

And the Senate Aging, Families, Mental and Public Health Committee will focus on state policies related to the donations of prescription drugs to charities and other such topics.

The Constitutional Coalition
Sponsors the nations premier education policy conference right here in Missouri!
For more information call:
314-434-7028

TeenPact
TeenPact is an outstanding organization with a quality focus on leadership training and Christian citizenship.
Missouri Family Network is proud to both work with, and endorse TeenPact.
2006 State class coming up running from Feb 27 – March 3rd.
Four (4) day class for ages 13-18
One day class for ages 8-12
If you have any questions, we would encourage you to go to the TeenPact web site, www.teenpact.com or contact Laurel Morton at LAM@postoakpass.com

Special Needs
Missouri Family Network is in need of select items for our capitol city office building:
Carpeting and a gas furnace update are higher priorities.
Office furniture (or funds to purchase).